A 22-year-old man accused of doing a shooting spree that injured three people and left one guy dead between Spring Valley and San Diego has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and attempted murder.
Officials took Jaime Gonzalez III into custody on Friday, approximately 30 minutes after the third and last shooting in the sequence, involving three additional victims who were fired at but not hurt.
According to San Diego police, the suspect allegedly chose the victims at random. In each incident, the shooter exited his car, approached the victims, and opened fire.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 17: Washington Metropolitan Police Department conduct an investigation at the scene of a shooting outside the Third Base Gate of Nationals Park on July 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. At least two people were shot outside the baseball park during the Nationals game against the San Diego Padres on Saturday night. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
San Diego Shooting: Man Not Guilty in Horrific Spree
In an Associated Press report, Gonzalez allegedly drove about hunting for targets before getting out of his car and starting to shoot.
He allegedly fired at but missed a person in Spring Valley. Afterward, he allegedly opened fire on a group of youths at a trolley stop in Encanto, injuring two 15-year-old boys. He also reportedly shot and killed Raul Rojas Valdez, 32, and injured another man in the Bay Terraces neighborhood.
Lt. Steve Shebloski of the San Diego Police Department said in a Times of San Diego report officers received a thorough physical description of the offender and his car following each of these shootings, and it soon became clear that the two incidents were probably connected.
ALSO READ: Beverly Crest Shooting: 3 Dead, 4 Wounded In Latest California Incident
He added that officers flooded the area to find the suspect before more violent acts could happen.
Police then arrested Gonzalez when they pulled over a car that matched the description of the shooter’s automobile. They said they discovered an unregistered “ghost gun” in the vehicle. San Diego Union-Tribune said ghost guns are often hand-assembled from parts without serial numbers.
The authorities have not disclosed the attack’s motive nor the reason why the suspect did not plead guilty as of writing.
RELATED ARTICLE: Toddlers, Adults Injured, Killed In 2 Separate Shootings
